Orochimaru had found Sasuke ahead of schedule—and that early encounter allowed Mitarashi Anko to sense his presence sooner as well. Since they were still near the exam entrance, she tracked him down in no time.
"Oh… so it's you."
That hoarse, serpentine voice slithered through the trees. Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed with amusement as he smiled wickedly at the woman who stood before him.
"Long time no see, Anko. You don't have to look at me like you're ready to kill."
Anko's eyes narrowed. "Orochimaru, what are you doing in Konoha?"
"Heh heh heh…" Orochimaru chuckled, tilting his head slightly, his voice dripping with mock affection. "I'm just here to find a child I like."
As he spoke, his gaze slid to her hand, which had already begun to twitch toward her weapon pouch. His grin widened.
"Oh? You want to fight me? Then come—let's see how much you've grown."
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Before Orochimaru could even finish speaking, Anko's right arm snapped forward, transforming into a mass of writhing serpents that shot toward him with a sharp whoosh.
Bang!
The snakes slammed into Orochimaru's torso, piercing straight through and obliterating the tree behind him. Wood splintered, leaves scattered, and a gaping hole remained where his body had been.
Anko exhaled, lowering her arm slightly. "Is… is he dead?"
"You really haven't improved at all…"
The voice whispered behind her.
Her blood ran cold. Before she could move, a hand settled on her shoulder—light but paralyzing. Orochimaru leaned close, his forked tongue flicking the air as he hissed,
"You hate me so much, and yet you still use my techniques."
Anko's whole body froze. Though the forest around them was bathed in daylight, the air turned suffocatingly dark. Crows cawed and scattered, black feathers swirling into the dimming sky.
"Protect yourself better… for my sake."
His tongue slid slowly across her cheek. His voice was low, cold, and cruel enough to send shivers through her bones.
Hayate didn't know how long he'd been asleep when he finally stirred. Opening his eyes, he blinked up at the dim, enclosed space above him. It was still dark inside the tree hollow.
He rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Kiba, why didn't you wake me for my shift?"
He clenched his hand experimentally—his strength had returned. The wounds on his right hand had already closed, restored by divine power.
"Brother Hayate, you're awake," came a soft, drowsy voice.
"Hinata?"
Her voice told him everything. She'd been keeping watch the entire time, alone.
"You—honestly, you've been on duty this whole time? Aren't you exhausted?" he scolded gently, a mix of irritation and concern in his tone.
"When we're fighting… I can't really help much. So at least let me do this," Hinata whispered.
"Hinata…" Hayate sighed. He already knew that was exactly how she'd think.
"How's the situation outside? Anyone come through?"
"Yes," she nodded. "Ino and Shikamaru's team passed by once. They didn't trigger Kiba's traps. Some Sound Ninja came through too—but they didn't find us."
"Good work." Hayate nodded. "Alright, get some rest. I'll take over."
"Mm… okay, Brother Hayate."
She lay back against the mossy roots, her breathing softening almost instantly.
When she was asleep, Hayate settled into his own thoughts again. Ten Almighty Points left… how should I use them?
He browsed through the mental system interface. With that amount, he could only afford a skill equivalent to a C-rank jutsu—something far too weak to be of use now that he had the Great Jade Rasengan at his disposal.
If I want a real increase in power, weapons are the only option.
"Weapon Exchange."
At his silent command, the system flared to life in his mind, projecting a luminous interface before him. A cascade of items scrolled past his vision.
Weapon List – Basic Tier
Blade of the Swordmaster — 5 Points
Hundred Birds Spear (Replica) — 10 Points
Azure Dragon Crescent Blade (Replica) — 10 Points
Black Blade – Dark Moon — 20 Points
Moonlight Saber — 20 Points
Earth Spirit Sword — 50 Points
Falling Meteorite Edge — 200 Points
Cangmu Scythe — 10 Points
Cross Cleaver – Flash — 10 Points
Every weapon name gleamed with its own strange allure—nothing ordinary among them. Even replicas like the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade appeared in the list.
After scrolling through the descriptions, Hayate's gaze lingered on one weapon:
Cross Cleaver – Flash.
The name sounded plain enough, but that single word—Flash—gave it an edge of mystery.
A silver-white longsword, 130 centimeters in length and 8 wide. Straight and balanced, its gleaming surface shimmered like flowing light. It was said to strike so quickly that the blade itself became a blur—a flash of silver death.
System-made, huh? That means quality's guaranteed.
In Hayate's opinion, even a well-forged kunai would snap against it.
"Exchange. Weapon Type: Cross Cleaver – Flash."
Ding!
Exchange complete. 10 Almighty Points consumed.
The next moment, Hayate felt weight settle into his palm. A blade materialized in his grip, cool and solid.
"Hayate?" came Kiba's voice from behind.
"Yeah, it's me," Hayate answered absently, admiring the weapon. Then his expression darkened as a realization hit him. "The Sound Ninja should be attacking Naruto's team right about now…"
"Sorry, man, I must've dozed off," Kiba said, scratching his head with an embarrassed grin. "Guess I was more tired than I thought."
"Don't worry about it. Keep quiet—Hinata's sleeping." Hayate smiled faintly. "But stay alert. We might need to move."
"Something wrong?"
"Naruto's team was ambushed by Sound Ninja. Orochimaru's already knocked out both Naruto and Sasuke. They're defenseless. I need to help them."
"Ah, so that's why Orochimaru stopped chasing us." Kiba's eyes widened in realization. "He went after them instead."
"Exactly. That's why you're staying here. Protect Hinata—I'll go alone."
Before Kiba could argue, Hayate's form blurred. With a flicker of chakra, he vanished, reappearing high above the forest canopy.
In a heartbeat, he was standing on a massive branch overlooking a familiar scene below. The clearing beneath him was tense—three Sound Ninja facing off against the exhausted remnants of Team 10 and Team 7.
So the plot's shifting, huh? he thought. In the original, Rock Lee should've shown up first…
Below, Shikamaru's shadow stretched across the ground, binding one of the Sound Ninja—Sakon—in place.
"Tch. You little punk…" Sakon sneered. "How long can you keep me trapped? A minute? Two?"
Shikamaru only smirked faintly, ignoring the taunt while keeping his eyes on the other fight. Choji was engaged in a rolling brawl with another Sound ninja, Tayuya, his Human Boulder slamming repeatedly into the earth.
Nearby, Sakura was collapsed, chakra completely drained. Ino's consciousness was locked in a mental struggle with Kin's inside the latter's body—neither side gaining the upper hand.
"All we can do now…" Hayate murmured, his fingers tightening around his new sword, "…is wait for Sasuke to wake up."
He glanced down at the gleaming silver blade in his hand.
"Until then," he whispered with a grin, "guess it's my turn to steal the spotlight."